Yes, I had it after my first baby was born, and then when I became unexpectedly pregnant with my second baby several years later, I was a true basketcase. I just knew I was going to die from PE and leave my husband and first child all alone. I was also terrified that my second baby would be as sick as the first one. I think my family was ready to have me committed! My OB and MFM were amazing and helped me through it. I had it pretty bad for a few months after the baby, and my husband and I almost divorced over it. I think it was a combination of PTSD and Post-partum depression. My second child will be two in November, and just this week I have finally come back to the forums. Just reading about PE made me crazy all over again. My OB put me on Prozac and Xanax right after the baby was born and it helped me a lot. Have you tried talking with your doctor about it?

Judith Beck, PhD, RN at UCONN (developer of the Beck Depression Inventory) has done a lot of work on PTSD and traumatic pregnancies/births. She usually has ongoing studies if you are interested. Currently I know she is doing a study for fathers' perspectives, in order to help the dads that also experience this with us. My husband wrote up the birth experience and submitted it and was only the sixth man to do so (after more than a year that the study was open). I told him I thought it would be cathartic for him - it was very hard for him though. I can say that it helped me a bit because I was sick enough that I do not remember much of the labor and delivery of our daughter and so it answered some questions that I did not even know I had (and thus had not yet peppered him with).

Please note, though, that if you do participate in any of Dr. Beck's studies that her studies are not officially endorsed by preeclampsia.org or the Preeclampsia Foundation. And in general, I should also note that we do not allow researchers to recruit study participants directly from our membership - we are very interested in helping researchers but any researcher who wishes to should contact our Director of Research at research@preeclampsia.org.

Sharing research studies you find elsewhere is fine, though, just as long as you have no personal or professional relationship with the study author and are sharing it just as a fellow participant!

Sorry to interject that in your post, Meghan! I'm glad your husband participated in that study and sorry to hear so few men had participated up to that point. Our "Dads" board has a fair number of men who were traumatized by their wives' pregnancies. It's our bodies that are under siege but in some ways they feel even more helpless because male socialization tells them they should be able to fix things for the people they love. I hope participating was as helpful for him personally as well.

You are completely right - it is Cheryl Beck. My brain just is not the same (I studied and used her stuff in school for papers and my theses from about 1994 onwards). I do want to reassure you - I was not recruiting, just offering an outlet and some information to other members.Take care.Meghan

Please note, though, that if you do participate in any of Dr. Beck's studies that her studies are not officially endorsed by preeclampsia.org or the Preeclampsia Foundation. And in general, I should also note that we do not allow researchers to recruit study participants directly from our membership - we are very interested in helping researchers but any researcher who wishes to should contact our Director of Research at research@preeclampsia.org.

Sharing research studies you find elsewhere is fine, though, just as long as you have no personal or professional relationship with the study author and are sharing it just as a fellow participant!

Sorry to interject that in your post, Meghan! I'm glad your husband participated in that study and sorry to hear so few men had participated up to that point. Our "Dads" board has a fair number of men who were traumatized by their wives' pregnancies. It's our bodies that are under siege but in some ways they feel even more helpless because male socialization tells them they should be able to fix things for the people they love. I hope participating was as helpful for him personally as well.